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Hawes Trail System Primer
Mountain Biking Trail
Hard
8.34 mi
1,180 ft
A sleeper hit in the Phoenix Metro Area.
The singletrack in the Hawes Trail System offers some of the highest-acclaimed cross country mountain biking in the Phoenix Metro Area. While Hawes flies a bit under the tourist radar, with most out-of-town visitors heading to either McDowell Mountain Park or South Mountain, the locals know that Hawes is actually one of the best spots in the region!
"Hawes and its accompanying trails take riders up to mine shafts and through a forest of cactus leading to some of the best views in the East Valley," writes the [Phoenix New Times]( "The most ride-able loop is a combination of Hawes, Saddle, Saguaro, and Ridge trails in a counterclockwise direction, for a run of about seven miles," they continue. "For a sweet payoff, work to the top of Saguaro Trail and discover why that trail is also known as Mine Shaft."
The route mapped here mostly follows that recommended combination of trails. While there are more technical sections of singletrack to be had in the Hawes Trail System, the loop featured here is designed to maximize the flowy cross country pedaling… with a bit of that sweet reward on the Saguaro Trail, of course!
At the time of this writing, the entire Hawes Trail System contains 25.2 miles of approved trails and 12.8 miles of social trails. The [Hawes Trail Alliance]( has also proposed another 16.7 miles of trail in the network, for a whopping total of 54.7 miles!
Sources:
Written by Greg Heil
The singletrack in the Hawes Trail System offers some of the highest-acclaimed cross country mountain biking in the Phoenix Metro Area. While Hawes flies a bit under the tourist radar, with most out-of-town visitors heading to either McDowell Mountain Park or South Mountain, the locals know that Hawes is actually one of the best spots in the region!
"Hawes and its accompanying trails take riders up to mine shafts and through a forest of cactus leading to some of the best views in the East Valley," writes the [Phoenix New Times]( "The most ride-able loop is a combination of Hawes, Saddle, Saguaro, and Ridge trails in a counterclockwise direction, for a run of about seven miles," they continue. "For a sweet payoff, work to the top of Saguaro Trail and discover why that trail is also known as Mine Shaft."
The route mapped here mostly follows that recommended combination of trails. While there are more technical sections of singletrack to be had in the Hawes Trail System, the loop featured here is designed to maximize the flowy cross country pedaling… with a bit of that sweet reward on the Saguaro Trail, of course!
At the time of this writing, the entire Hawes Trail System contains 25.2 miles of approved trails and 12.8 miles of social trails. The [Hawes Trail Alliance]( has also proposed another 16.7 miles of trail in the network, for a whopping total of 54.7 miles!
Sources:
Written by Greg Heil
Created By
Strava Routes
